MEC’s celebrated Season Opener is back. As always, it’s a cross-country celebration of all things wintery, with athletes, climate advocates and filmmakers coming together to help protect our planet.
You can choose from nine locations for film screenings, conversations with Protect Our Winters (POW) athletes, ski waxing and drinks by donation from local brewery sponsors—plus sweet prizes from Arc’teryx, Osprey and more.
Tickets are just $20 and all proceeds go to POW Canada. Events:
MEC Vancouver
October 20
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
111 2nd Ave East, Vancouver
Buy Vancouver tickets
MEC Toronto
October 23
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
300 Queen Street West, Toronto
Buy Toronto tickets
MEC Montreal
October 27
Doors: 6:30pm
Show starts: 7:30pm
8989 de l’Acadie Boulevard, Montreal
Buy Montreal tickets
MEC Calgary
October 30
Doors: 7:30pm
Show starts: 8:30pm
830 – 10th Avenue SW, Calgary
Buy Calgary tickets
Additional Screenings
Head to these MEC stores on November 10 to meet with your local POW Chapters, catch some ski films to get you stoked for winter, connect with your local community and win some epic prizing.
Date: Sunday, November 10
Doors: 7:30 pm
Show starts: 8:15pm
Tickets: $15
Click the link below for tickets:
MEC Victoria (1450 Government Street)
MEC Edmonton Downtown (11904 104th Ave NW)
MEC Kelowna (1876 Cooper Rd, Unit 100)
MEC Ottawa (366 Richmond Road)
MEC Quebec City (1475 Boulevard Lebourgneuf).
Films
Farming Turns
Chris Rubens was living the dream. As a pro skier, he travelled the globe in search of the best skiing, until an expedition to Greenland brought the reality of climate change and his impact into sharp focus. Forced to confront his footprint and values, he takes action, risking his career as an athlete to become an organic farmer in a quest to foster a stronger, more sustainable community and connection to the mountains.
Slides on the Mountain
Slides on the Mountain follows Talon (17) and Riki (15), two brothers from the Lil’wat Nation, as they decide to ski Ts’zil and set off to learn the skills they need to ride the mountain safely. Their unique personalities shine as we follow them through the winter while their mentors and Lil’wat elders shed light on why it’s so significant for Lil’wat youth to be able to experience the mountains so deeply entrenched in their culture.
Meet MEC’s Athlete Panel
Want to become a climate advocate but don’t know where to start? MEC has mobilized their friends at POW Canada to bring you one-on-one conversations with pro athletes Chris Rubens (joining the Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto events) and Gabriel Filippi (joining the Montreal event), lending their voices to a national movement for climate action. Together they’ll discuss climate advocacy, the effects of climate change in the local mountains, and the importance of local activism to create positive change.
Chris Rubens
Truly dedicated to the mountains and passionate about movement in them, Rubens spends the majority of his time self-propelling in the backcountry and putting down beautiful lines for both film and photo projects. Lately his pursuit of adventure has become year-round, creating climbing, running, hiking and bike content. Chris’ stories resonate with audiences because they are a window into an amazing life. He spends most of his winters collaborating with Salomon TV, Matchstick Productions and Sherpas Cinema. Between trips you can find Chris at home in Revelstoke, the perfect backyard for endless opportunities for outdoor pursuits.
Gabriel Filippi
A member of The North Face Athlete Team, Filippi became the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest four times, including a back-to-back climb of Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours (2019). An adventurer who has traveled to over 40 countries, he has scaled technical peaks, rock cliffs, and frozen waterfalls. Gabriel is also an ultra-trail runner, completing races like the Bromont Ultra 160KM and Ultra-Trail Harricana 125KM. As a sought-after speaker and POW ambassador, he presents the educational program Hot Planet, Cool Athletes across Canada.
Prizes! Silent Auctions!
Here’s your chance to win the latest ski and outdoor gear (if you’ve ever been to one of MEC’s events, you know their raffles are jam-packed):
Raffle
Your Season Opener event ticket automatically gets you entered into the raffle—and it’s huge. They have lots of gear giveaways, along with epic grand prizes per location. Prizes available:
- MEC Label ski kit (jacket and pants)
- Osprey packs
- Arc’teryx Backpack
- Arc’teryx Covert Fleece
- A limited edition MEC x POW Toaster Suit
- Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer sets
- and much more!
Want more chances to win? Additional raffle tickets are available for purchase at the event. Prizes vary by location.
Silent Auction
MEC has teamed up with Arc’teryx to provide you with the ultimate winter kit, which will be up for silent auction at the event:
- Arc’teryx Atom Hoody, Beta AR Jacket and pants
- MEC Tour 32 Backpack
- $500 MEC gift card
All proceeds from the raffle and silent auction will be donated to POW Canada.
Ski + Snowboard Wax!
Get your skis and snowboards waxed by donation! All proceeds support POW Canada. Kick off the winter season with a commitment to our planet—one shralp at a time!
About POW Canada
Protect Our Winters Canada is a passionate community of outdoor enthusiasts, professional athletes, and industry brands uniting the outdoor community to address climate change. They believe humanity’s love of adventure in nature demands our participation in the fight to save and protect it.
Join POW Canada today and be a part of one of the world’s fastest-growing climate and environmental advocacy global alliances today.
You can also donate directly to POW and receive a tax receipt. However, donating through this link does not give you access to the Season Opener event – it’s for donations above and beyond your ticket purchase.
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